Crooked Smiles and Squinty Eyes

Same eye and same grin. My wife hates it but I find it endearing. And to have a daughter that does the same should prove to her that she has a mini-me as well.

Where it all began...

Ok, so packing can be a bit serendipitous. While emptying out the junk closet I came across the only evidence we have of the night we first met.

Yes...we were much younger then.

A little close on the first night?

I was asked by a friend of Deb's that I happened to be dating to help organize her 21st birthday party. I had no idea who she was but never passed the opportunity to woo others with my arrogant knowledge of restaurants and wine in Austin. I chose the Bitter End since it was down in the hip part of town and I knew some people there. Oh...and because I liked it. The guest list was organized and reservations made. We could have gone to the Spaghetti Warehouse next door and the group would have been just as happy. I ordered a nice bottle of wine, something Spanish, for my date and I. I drank cognac while others had Dr. Pepper. I was such an ass. But hey, this naive Disney loving newlywed seemed to be having a good time. We left and cruised 6th and 4th street. We had drinks at Cedar Street where the couch picture was taken. All in all it seemed to be a great night for me, and I assume everyone else liked it. Let this be exhibit A for those of you that snicker when she says I was a pompous ass when she first met me. Guilty as charged.

Fast forward 10 years, 4 kids, and 3 marriages later and here we are. We joke about how we met so long ago but would have never been compatible when we were younger. It is obvious that we both had a lot of growth and change in store over the years. I have rearranged my top 5 in my life and decided that keeping a job for more than 6 months at a time is important. She may still long for a trip to Disney but does not drag me to openings of animated films. I would have never in a million years imagined I would be taking pictures with her again complete with a family. We may have taken the scenic route but we finally found each other at the right time.

Side note. The picture on the couch made us giggle. I seem to be pulling her closer while I was merely draping my arm over the girl on the other side that ended up being my first wife. Instinct maybe?